Editor in Chief AQ Magazine

Key Responsibilities

• Plan, curate, and oversee the editorial lineup for each issue, including lifestyle articles related to historical information that continues the quilting legacy, trending quilting methods and techniques, topics of interest about the industry (people and products), along with quilt designs to pattern that represent trending, historical, and /or innovative designs.
• Actively monitor the broader quilting community, including quilt show attendees, online communities, and quilt guilds across the nation, to capture the cultural pulse of the industry and translate these insights into timely content.
• Identify, recruit, and contract established authors, trending designers, and undiscovered talent from the quilting community.
• Foster a collaborative environment across internal AQS staff and a network of remote freelance contributors.
• Establish production schedules, maintain project-tracking documentation, and mitigate delivery risks to ensure all deadlines are met.
• Partner closely with graphic artists and layout designers to ensure the visual aesthetic matches the high standards of the AQS brand.
• Act as the lead editor for all textual content, ensuring a consistent tone, engaging prose, and adherence to American Quilter style guidelines.
• Oversee the review of instructional content, ensuring pattern calculations, diagrams, and construction guidelines are accurate for readers.
• Coordinate the logistics and secure delivery of quilts for professional photography, instructional diagrams, and step-by-step imagery.
• Collaborate with the AQS QuiltWeek show team to capture contestant stories, highlight show content, and promote quilter engagement in the AQS events from within the magazine pages.
• Partner with the AQS Executive Director and Sales team to support AQS QuiltWeek, SEAM, sponsorship commitments, and advertising objectives.
• Oversee the freelance and contributor budget, execute timely contracts, and process payment requests.

Candidate Qualifications

• Experience: 5+ years of editorial leadership experience, preferably within a craft, hobby, or lifestyle publication.
• Industry Knowledge: Deep familiarity with quilting history, traditional/modern block patterns, and the current landscape of fabric manufacturers, machines, and tools.
• Quilt Literacy: High level of comfort navigating the broader quilting community, including quilt show attendees, online communities, and quilt guilds across the nation, to capture the cultural pulse of the industry and translate these insights into timely content.
• Skills: Exceptional copyediting, project management, and cross-functional communication skills; strong eye for photography and page layout.